1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology that produces metadata for being correlated with image data and for characterizing that image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multifunction peripheral (MFP) serving as an image processing apparatus includes a network scan function. With the network scan function, paper documents are scanned and images are made into electronic documents. Thereafter, the electronic documents are transferred to a server or the like connected to a network. A document management application or the like is installed in the server, and processing such as finishing, editing, and utilization (searching, printing) is administered by the document management application to the electronic documents transmitted from the MFP. Examples of format of the electronic documents include TIFF, JPEG and PDF.
Data for characterizing the image data produced by an MFP is called “metadata”. For example, with respect to TIFF files, JPEG files and PDF files produced by Scan to File or the like, information such as the date and time when the files were scanned, the location at which the files were scanned, the person(s) who scanned the files, and the attributes, resolution and pixel number of the image data is metadata.
There are two types of locations where metadata is produced: (1) when the metadata is embedded in image data and is in the same file as the image data; and (2) when the metadata is saved in a file separate from an image data file.
The image data (TIFF, JPEG, PDF) and metadata produced by an MFP are used by applications outside the MFP. In this case, the content of the required metadata differs for each application. Conventionally, all of the metadata that can be acquired inside the MFP has been provided to an application, or just the metadata that is often used has been provided to an application.
However, because metadata that is unnecessary to an application is also included when all of the metadata is provided to that application, the metadata becomes redundant and its size becomes large, which is not preferable from the standpoint of consumed resources and the like. Further, when just the metadata that is often used is provided, there is the problem that, depending on the application to which the metadata is to be provided, sometimes the necessary metadata is not provided. In this case, it is necessary to change MFP programs such that the metadata necessary to an application can be provided to that application, which is burdensome.
There is a system that identifies images and their associated metadata for each receiver and determines profiles in regard to each receiver such that they include therein metadata access right information (e.g., see JP-A-2004-208317).
Further, there is a function called “job template” on MFPs. Job template is a function where combinations of functions that are often used can be registered in advance in a template and called up when necessary by depressing a button (e.g., see JP-A-2001-77959).
Plural parameter settings accompanying a job can be stored in advance in a job template. These include, for example, Scan-to-File scan parameters (resolution, paper size, exposure, color/black-and-white) and information relating to the destination to which a file is to be saved (path of destination to which a file is to be saved, format in which a file is to be saved). The advantage of this is that, as long as the job settings are the same, it becomes unnecessary to set each and every job parameter, so that plural items can be set at once simply by depressing a button one time and jobs with the same settings can be started.